Count Tom Izzo among those who don’t like the idea of playing the same opponent in such a quick turnaround, let alone his fiercest rival. It’s the shortest time between an MSU-Michigan game since they were a week apart in 1997.

“Well, the one benefit is we just went through it. You pull up the practice plan and it’s fresh in your mind. You start going over the plays, the players right away remember it,” Izzo said. “Personally, I think the challenges are worse than the benefits. I don’t like playing teams like that, almost back-to-back. I don’t know how John (Beilein), I don’t know how any other coaches feel about it, it just seems too quick to me.”

In the less-than-two-week window since MSU’s 70-62 win on Jan. 29, the two teams that were headed in opposite directions before that game have both reversed course.

MSU has won five straight in the rivalry since dropping three in a row to Michigan, including the last two at Crisler Center.

“It’s a rivalry game – I love rivalry games,” said freshman Miles Bridges, who had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the first meeting. “And it’s gonna be at Michigan, so it’s gonna be even crazier going against them.".

Izzo said having the weekend off helped freshman Nick Ward and sophomore Kenny Goins’ health improve. The two big men played through sickness Thursday. The Spartans need them to be able to defend the Wolverines’ outside shooters and avoid defensive mixups with their high ball screens.

Perhaps the biggest individual matchup, Izzo said, will be MSU’s guards doing a better job of stopping U-M’s Derrick Walton, who finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in the game at Breslin. The senior guard “is playing at another level,” Izzo said, after his 25-point, 10-rebound effort against the Buckeyes.

But the Spartans’ primary focus remains on themselves and improving on their two-game win streak. Developing consistency has been an issue all season, and Izzo believes his team is starting to find some now that Bridges again has become fully integrated into the offensive and defensive structure after his ankle injury.

“I think the biggest problem we have to deal with in college now in general, and that’s all of us, is just keeping guys focused on the task at hand,” Izzo said. “Does it help that it’s your rival? I think right now, I’ve harped on it so much, I think my team is starting to understand this thing about staying focused, starting to understand that we’ve gotta – we don’t have that many distractions that I can see, so that makes it a little bit better. I’m sure anytime you’re playing your rival, the one thing you should get is the best focus you can get.”